Clock.



F. BANGERTER.

CLOCK.

APPLICATION mED Juni 3, |911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

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F. BANGERTER.

CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE 3. IQII.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

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F. BANGERTER.

CLOCK.

APPucATloN man luNE 3.1911.

Patentd Jan. 9, 19,17.

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- CLOCK.

Patented Jan. 9,1917.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. i

FRIEDRICH BANGER'IER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLOCK.

Application filed June 3, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH BANGERTER, a citizen of the Re ublic of Switzerland, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Richmond, county of Richmond, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clocks, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to clocks, and particularly that class wherein a pendulum escapement is employed and wherein the clock-train is weight driven.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that the most accurate and reliable clocks are those which are driven by a weight. Most of such clocks are provided with a plurality of weights, one being used to supply the energy necessary to strike the time, and

the other the energy for operating the clock-4 train, and in clocks of such construction they have to be wound frequently, usually either daily or weekly.

Many attempts have been made to produce clocks which will run for a relatively long time without requiring the attention of an attendant to wind the same. In such clocks, (other than electrical clocks) powerful springs have been employed, one of such springs being used for time-striking and the other for actuating the clock-train. Clocks of this class designed to run for an eX- tended length of time, such, for example, as

period of say a year or more, have been indiHerent time-keepers due to the fact that the power of the springs becomes materially lessened during thevlatter part of the cycle4 of operations. Therefore, spring-operated clocks, calculated to be run for any great length of time, have been more or less unsatisfactory and have not gone into very extensive use.

The object of this invention is to provide a clock which will require the attention of an attendant but once in a long period of time and which will also be an accurate time-keeper.

A further object is to provide a powerdevice, transmission mechanism and 'automatic devices connected thereto, whereby the power of said power-storage mechanism is utilized to wind up the clock,-that is to say, to lift the clock-train operating weight, at certain definitely recurring intervals of time.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 191 '7.

Serial No. 631,068.

A further object of my invention is to provide, in connection with such power mechanism, time-striking means operated by said power-device, which being independent of the clock-train operating means does not interfere therewith. A further object of my invention is to provide a single power-device which will' afford the power to strike the time and effect the winding of the clock, doing away with two sets of mechanism (one for each purpose), as heretofore used.

A further obj ect of my invention is to provide such a power-device that with one winding of the same the clock may be kept running, and also striking the time, for a year or more in duration.

- A further object of my invention is to provide means in connection with said power-storage device whereby the winding of the clock-train does not interfere with continuous running and perfect time-keeping of the clock, and does not require any supplemental propelling mechanism for the clocktrain during the winding operation.

Other objects such as simplicity, durability and economy of manufacture will be readily apparent from the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,--

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the power transmission and weight lifting mechanism; Fig.2 is an end elevation showing the power-storage device for operating the time-striking mechanism and the weightlifting mechanism; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and showing the clocktrain, and other operative mechanism; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the mechanism shown in Figs. 2 and 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5 5 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the construction illustrated, A represents a clock casing, which may be of any ap ropriate form, within the upper portion o which is suitably mounted the clock dial B, and at the rear thereof the clock-train indicated in whole at C. Within the lower portion of said casing is housed the power device indicated in whole at D, for actuating the time-striker, as well as for operating the weight-lifting mechanism.

The clock-train is of the usual construction, comprising the great wheel E, suit ably mounted upon the clock train casing, indicated at E', which wheel is driven,

through the pinion E2, by means of the endless chain indicated at rlhe great Wheel E, drives the center Wheel E1 through the lantern Wheel E5, and the Wheel E4, in turn, drives the end Wheel E6, through the lantern wheel E1, and the Wheel E drives the escapement vwheel E8 through the lantern Wheel E9, the latter being controlled by the escapement E10, (the pendulum for governing the same not being shown), all, as is Well known, in ,the art. Keyed Vto a shaft F which may .besuitably `mounted in bearings rigidly secured Within the casing A, are a sprocket Wheel 13", and a smaller sprocket Wheel F 2, both rotating` with said shaft. Engaging the teeth of the sprocket wheel F2 is the endless chain E1 hereinbefore referred to. Said endless chain carries Within one bight thereof a roller or pulley Gr, havingan axle Gr, suspended `from which, is a small Weight G2, the purpose of Which Weight is `to keep the said endless chain in ypositionupon Vthe teeth of the respective sprocket Wheels F, F 2 as Well as to keep the chain distcnded.

Mounted Within another bight of the endless ,chain E3 is a roller H similar in all respeets .to `the roller G just described, from which is suspended the clock-train driving Weight H. It twill be observed that said Weights remain suspended in perpendicular positions While the rollers G and H are free to turn and both .the Weights and rollers are capable of being moved in a perpendicular plane.

The power or lWinder-device, indicated in Whole ,at D comprises the shaft I, having its bearings in the Vside supports ll, l2, to which shaft is secured one end of powerful spiral spring I1, the other end of which spring is secured to the inner surface of the barrel I4, the outer surface of which is provided with a drive gear l5, said barrel and gear being free to turn upon the shaft lf under .propulsion of said spring.

Rigidly mounted upon the shaft is a Winder gear J', ywhich is adapted to be driven by the pin-ion J meshing therewith, the latter being mounted upon the shaft J 2 having its vbearings Ain the `side supports i', l2. Also rigidly mounted upon the shaft l is a ratchet Wheel d3, reng a, ,ing which is a pawl J1 mounted upon the side support ,f2 and kept in engagement with said ratchet Wheel by the spring J5, also mounted upon said side support, the function of lsaid ratchet Wheel and paivl Vbeing to prevent the univinding of the spring` la after the same is Wound. The Winder pinion J may be actuated by a key or crank (not shown) or in any other suitable manner. Also mounted upon the side supports L, l2 is a shaft K, which at Yone end carries a pinion ijl, meshing with the `barrel drive gear l1 and is driven thereby. Upon the opposite end of the shaft l is a gear K2, which is adapted toV drive the shaft K1, (also having its bearings in the side supports i', l2), through the pinion K1. rlhe gear K2 is also adapted to drive t ie shaft K5 through the pinion KG, said shaft having one of its bearings in the side support l2, and the opposite end bearing in a support lYT secured to a bracket K8, mounted upon the side frame l.

The shaft K3 is provided With a gear Wheel K12, keyed thereto, the outer surface of which gear Wheel is provided with an annular groove or cam slot l 10 vand also a stop recess K11 for the reception of the cam pin to be hereinafter referred to.

Mounted within `bearings .in the bracket KS are a plurality of escapement gears and pinions comprising the pinion K12, driven by the gear l 9. rllie pinion K12 is integral with a gear K13, meshing with a pinion K11, carrying a Worm Wheel E15, the teeth of which enga-ge and are controlled by arworm X16 forming part of a governor lshaft K11 rotatably mounted Within the bracket K8, and carrying the governor lWings K12, it being also provided with a `stop arm K12, adapted to contact .With a stopll2-o on one end of an escapement lever to be vpresently s 0 described, the function of which governor is Well known, it being adapted to regulate the speed at which the esoapement pinions and gears may rotate.

Pivotally mounted upon a screw bolt L secured to the exterior Side of the bracket KS is an escapement lever L, secured by the screw L, and normally held in a horizontal position by means of a spring L2 carried by the bracket KS. rlhe forward end of said lever carries a cam pin L3, the head of Which is located Within the cam slot l 1 and is normally held in the stop recess K11 under the action upon the lever L of the spring L2. rlhe lever L also carries a. connectingpin L4 carrying one end of a connecting rod L1, the function of which is to lift the lever L and release the cam pin L3 from the stop T 11, the operation of which will be hereinafter referred to.

Loosely mounted upon a shaft M rigidly secured to t-heside support I isa timestriker driving gear M, which is adapted to be driven bv a pinion M2 secured to' the outer end of the shaft- K3. Also mounted upon .the shaft M and secured to the gear M so as to rotate therewith is a timefstriker ratchet-Wheel N, Whose periphery is formed with a series of ratchet teeth corresponding in number to the hours of the day, said teeth being more clearly shotvn at N in Figs. 4 and 6. Also mounted upon the side support l by a bracket Oris a bell gong O, junta.- posed to Which is a bell hammer ,O2

Upon one end of a hammer arm O1, the

mounted lower end of said arm being rigidly mounted upon a short shaft O2, pivotally secured toa bracket()5 and the side support I. The lower end of the hammer arm O3 is so formed as to constitute a pawl O, which is adapted to engage .the ratchet rteeth N of the time-striker ratchet wheel N. The bracket O3 is provided with a hammer-actuating spring O", the upper end of which is bent to engage the hammer annv 03. It will be observed that in the rotation vof `the timestriker wheel N in the direction Vof the arrow, the ratchet teeth N reciprocate the pawl O, and when the latter engages the depressions between the ratchet teeth, the hammer O2 will be propelled forwardly under the action of the spring O7, to strike the bell or gong O', the action of the ratchet teeth being to alternately move the pawl O outwardly against the action of the spring O7 and release the same in the act of engaging the next succeeding tooth when it is free to be moved in the opposite direction under the action of said spring.

Mounted upon a post on the inner side of the clock casing A is a lever P, pivoted at P, one end of which lever is provided with a pin P2, adapted to hold the upper end of the connecting rod L3. The opposite end of the lever P is slightly weighted, and provided with a regulating screw P3, and this arm of the lever, by means of the upper end of said regulating screw is adapted to be engaged by the weight H so as to raise the opposite end of said lever and thereby,

through the rod L5 and the lever L release the cam pin L3 from the cam recess K11 and permit the rotation of the escapement gears and pinions mounted within the bracket K8, it being seen that when so released a full revolution of the wheel K9 is permitted.

Mounted upon the shaft Ks is a sprocket wheel Q, driven by said shaft, the teeth of which wheel. engage an endless sprocket chain Q', whereby said wheel drives the sprocket wheel F hereinbefore referred to, and, through the shaft F the smaller sprocket wheel F2 carrying the endless sprocket chain E3 before described, for driving the clock-train.

The operation of the apparatus will be quite clear from the foregoing description and the drawings illustrating the same.

It will be observed that the weight H which drives the clock-train is supported in part by the sprocket wheels F2 and E2, and the gradual lowering of the weight H driving the pinion E2 and associated wheeltrain under control of the escapement E10. In this operation those sections of the endless chain E3 lying between the roller H and the sprocket wheels E2, F2, which sections are designated respectively as 1 and 2, are gradually lengthened through the rotation of the sprocket wheel E2, while, howthe Weight H has reached the limit of p downward travel for which it has been adapted, the lower surface of the weight H contacts with the upper end of the adjustable screw P3 and depresses one arm of the lever P, thereby raising the opposite arm of said lever, and the rod L5, releasing, through the lever L, the cam pin L3 from the stop recess K11, also thereby releasing the governor stop arm K13 and permitting the actuation of the power-storage device D, thereby actuating the sprocket wheel Q, and through it and the sprocket chain Q rotating the sprocket wheel F and thereby the sprocket wheel F2 in the direction of the arrows and by means of the endless chain E3 raising the weight H to its uppermost position, which movement is effected so smoothly, gradually and uniformly as to in no manner interfere with the accurate running of the clock, and since, during that operation, the weight H still exerts its normal weight upon the sprocket wheel E2, there is not required any supplemental clock-train driving means such as is ordinarily used in other similar mechanism.

The apparatus shown herein is designed to release the lever P, and thereby, through the connected mechanism, raise the weight once every hour and at the same time the connected mechanism is arranged to strike the hour, but it will be evident that the apparatus may be so arranged as to wind at either less or more frequent intervals, and also that the striking mechanism may be arranged to strike more or less frequently, or may be dispensed with altogether as may be desired.

It is to be understood that this invention is not confined to the precise details of construction and arrangement of the invention herein set forth, as modification and variation may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a clock train of gravity-controlled operating means therefor, a time striking device, a power device, and means actuated by, and on a pre-determined limit of downward travel of, said gravitycontrolled operating means, adapted to cause said power device to recurringly raise said gravity-controlled operating means after equal pre-determined periods of time and simultaneously aetuate said time-striking device.

2. The combination with a cloel; train of ieXible means for operating the same, including a Weight, a time-striking device, a spring, motor, a tripping member operatively Connected to said spring motor, gearing and a second flexible means operatively Connecting said spring motor and said irstnamed ieXible means and Weight, whereby, on the downward travel o1 said Welght,

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi" Patents, Washington, D. U. 

